An Exceedingly Rare Discovery of Possibly Late 18th Century New England-Made Stoneware

Please read the second report to this subject.

The name William Pecker (Active Ca. 1784-1820) is held highly inside a historical context in the world of American-made red earthenware today; his work is represented in museums all-over the country that includes the Smithsonian, Historic Deerfield, Historic New England and countless others. However, many do not realize that he was also a stoneware potter.

Ceramics in America published a report in 2004 about a stoneware jar that emerged at a Kentucky flea market with Pecker's name stamped on it. Since that report was published, five other examples of marked Pecker stoneware have surfaced. Unfortunately, those are the only six examples of living Pecker stoneware known today. I have been fascinated with this subject for a handful of years now - because I feel there has to be unmarked examples of Pecker's stoneware work out there today that people do not realize what they have.

Over the past few months, I have collected more than a box full of stoneware sherds, kiln furniture and wasters in front of Pecker's suspected stoneware kiln or waste area in Merrimacport, Massachusetts. None of these sherds have been dug for - rather, they were all collected on the shore of the Merrimac River that Pecker's business was located on. Most of the sherds have emerged from erosion in the land caused by coastal storms in recent years; although I also feel that Pecker may have been dumping his waste directly into the Merrimac River. All of these sherds were found a few feet to the west of where Pecker's red earthenware clay source was likely located.

This is an exciting report - today, I was in central New Hampshire, where a late eighteenth-century (or early nineteenth-century) example of stoneware emerged locally. It was thought to be an example made in Charlestown, Massachusetts (it was described as a product made by Frederick Carpenter and Jonathan Fenton). I didn't have much time to inspect it; my choice was to either buy it or put it down for the next person to buy. The price was irresistible - so I purchased it. After I purchased it, I looked it over carefully - and I knew it was not made in Charlestown. The handles are not correct. The glaze is not right. And the stamped 2 gallon number was also incorrect. The 2 appears to be a stamp on both sides - while the circles that go around both number 2 appear to have been hand drawn. It immediately dawned on me; this has to be an example of Pecker's unmarked stoneware that I have been in search of.

When I got home, I pulled out a number of the sherds I had collected this summer and fall - and many  of those sherds matched up exactly. Among the biggest indicators was the double incised lines that I have seen on a few sherds; however it should also be noted the double incised lines were also a characteristic Pecker applied on a lot of his red earthenware forms (i.e. jugs, stew pots, herb pots and pitchers). The crock's base is also similar to some of the sherds I have found. And the glazes are also similar to a number of the sherds in color. The folky looking 2 gallon stamp is wonderful; there's nothing else out there quite like it today that I have seen.

I opened up my copy of the 2004 Ceramics in America article and I realized that the crock in that report has a very similar (smaller) number 2 to that seen on the crock I found today. In fact, I have photos of all the surviving crocks stamped with Pecker's name - and they are all stamped with a small number that is easy to miss. This is the only form of Pecker stoneware that I have seen that displays the gallon number prominently.

From here, I flipped the crock over and I saw two spots, where kiln furniture was used to stack this pot; I instantly grabbed two pieces of kiln furniture that I had found in Merrimacport - and I placed them on those two spots. To my excitement, one of the two pieces of kiln furniture covered the spot perfectly.

I think this crock is potentially very important to the identity of the deacon and potter, William Pecker. There is so little known about his stoneware work - and this crock really shows how talented a stoneware potter he was. Given this is Pecker's work - this is arguably my favorite of all the known Pecker stoneware pieces today. The form, color and decoration are all great!

 Likely 2 Gallon William Pecker Stoneware Crock - Merrimacport, Ma

Pictured with Kiln Furniture Found at Pecker's Place of Operation in Merrimacport, Ma

Ca. 1790-1810 - Appears 18th Century

Found Today in Central New Hampshire

Stands 12 1/4" Tall

  Likely 2 Gallon William Pecker Stoneware Crock - Merrimacport, Ma

Pictured with Stoneware Sherds Found at Pecker's Place of Operation in Merrimacport, Ma

 View of the Other Side

 View of a 2 Gallon Mark

 View of the Other 2 Gallon Mark

 View of a Carrying Handle

 View of the Other Carrying Handle

 View of the Interior

 View of the Base with Marks from Kiln Furniture Used for Stacking Inside the Kiln

 View of Two Pieces of Kiln (Stacking) Furniture Found at Pecker's Place of Operation
The Example on the Right Covers the Mark Almost Perfectly

 Stoneware Sherd Found in Merrimacport, Ma with Similar Double Incised Lines

 Stoneware Sherd Found in Merrimacport, Ma with Similar Glaze and Base

Stoneware Sherds Found in Merrimacport, Ma with Similar Glaze and Base

This next group of photos show one of the six signed examples of Pecker stoneware known today; on the base you will notice a similar mark from kiln furniture used for stacking inside the kiln. A larger piece of kiln furniture I found earlier this year in Merrimacport matches that mark perfectly.

 (Right) Marked William Pecker Stoneware Jug

Ca. 1790-1810

Stands 13 1/4" Tall

 (Right) View of William Pecker's Name Stamped on the Stoneware Jug

 View of Both Bases

Both Bases Show Marks from Kiln (Stacking) Furniture

Both Bases Seen with Kiln (Stacking) Furniture Found at Pecker's Place of Operation

Both Kiln Pieces Appear to Fit the Marks on Both Forms

Needless to say, I am very excited over this find today. Here is a photo of my nephew helping me pull stoneware sherds out of the Merrimac River at high tide earlier this summer. There is no water at low tide where he is standing in the picture.

My Nephew, Jason Searching for Pecker Pottery Sherds in July of 2014

This photo is from my last trip to collect sherds in Merrimacport - the photo shows just about an equal amount of stoneware sherds (left) to red earthenware sherds (right). I'd like to say that this photo is rather revealing.

(Left) Stoneware Sherds and Kiln Furniture Found in Merrimacport, Ma

(Right) Red Earthenware Sherds Found in Merrimacport, Ma

This was not the only discovery I made in New Hampshire today - I will have more on the second discovery very soon. Please Stay Tuned!